From the past, a data communication system has been known in which an electronic camera and an external device are connected together with a communication cable such as a USB cable or the like, and in which image data that is photographed by the electronic camera and is stored upon a recording medium within the electronic camera is transferred to the external device. This type of data communication system is set up by connecting together the electronic camera and a personal computer (hereinafter termed a “PC”), and makes it possible to transmit image data created by the electronic camera to the PC and to display the image upon a display monitor of the PC. Furthermore, by connecting together the electronic camera and a printer, it is possible to transfer image data created by the electronic camera to the printer, and to print out the image with the printer.
On the other hand, the development of electronic cameras equipped with wireless communication functionality is also proceeding rapidly. A data communication system is also proposed in which an electronic camera of this type is connected with an external device via a network by utilizing a wireless LAN. According to this type of data communication system, it becomes possible to transmit image data created by the electronic camera to an external device such as a PC or a printer or the like via the network.
However, for such transmission of image data via a network to an external device that is specified from the electronic camera, it is necessary for the electronic camera to be able to recognize the external device that is the destination for transmission over the network. Due to this, it is necessary to set network connection information for the external device that is to be the destination for transmission of the image data, such as its IP address or the like, into the electronic camera that is the transmission side for the image data.
Accordingly, in order to perform this type of setting, it has been considered to connect together the electronic camera and the PC or the like via a communication cable, and to transmit the network connection information for the external device to the electronic camera by utilizing this communication cable. Or it has also been considered to record the network connection information for the external device upon a memory card, and to set this network connection information into the electronic camera by inserting this memory card into the electronic camera. (For example, refer to Patent Document #1.)    Patent Document #1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 2004-328288.